The 10 most expensive MLS transfers of all time

FT Desk

• Updated: 24 Sep 2025 06:14 CDT
• 5 min read

Analysis

MLS has grown in stature since the 2000s, with plenty of seasoned professionals choosing to spend their final few years in the league, but who are the most expensive transfers into the American top flight?

Some big names have made their way to US soccer at the tail-end of their careers, but increasingly talented players have passed MLS on the way up instead.

The likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard all tried their hand at MLS, and their presence helped the league develop. Now, there are fewer older European players looking for one last payday, with a better quality of players coming through academies or being scouted from South America.

Here are the 10 most expensive arrivals in MLS history.

10. Aleksey Miranchuk - $13.9m (Atalanta to Atlanta, 2024)

Aleksey Miranchuk swapped Atalanta for Atlanta in summer 2024.

The Russian international moved to Georgia for $13.9m and proved an instant success.

In 2024, Miranchuk and Atlanta caused a huge upset when they knocked Lionel Messi and reigning Supporters' Shield holders Inter Miami out of the MLS playoffs.

9. Brenner - $13.9m (Sao Paulo to Cincinnati, 2021)

Brenner joined the MLS in February 2021 after a stellar season in Brazil. He had scored 11 goals and assisted three in 27 appearances for Sao Paulo, which prompted Cincinnati to fork out $13.9m to sign him.

After a slow start, he found his range in 2022, scoring 18 goals in 29 MLS games. In total, the Brazilian netted 27 goals in 73 Cincinnati appearances before joining Udinese in 2023.

8. Myrto Uzuni - $14.1m (Granada to Austin, 2025)

In a quest to generate some more attacking strength, Austin broke their club record on 31 January, 2025 to sign Albania international forward Uzuni, who enjoyed a spectacular start to the season in Spain.

Playing in LaLiga2, the 29-year-old scored 14 times in 18 outings and it is now up to him to continue that strike rate in MLS, though so far he has struggled to hit the same ratio of goalscoring.

7. Hirving Lozano - €14.1m (PSV to San Diego, 2025)

'Chucky' has been one of North America's greatest footballing superstars for years, and after nearly a decade spent plying his trade in Europe for Napoli and PSV, he returned to his home continent, not far from Mexico.

Some of his old magic appeared to have been lost as he battled with injury while playing for PSV, but that has not stopped San Diego from spending a club-record fee on the 29-year-old, who brought with him the expectation of excitement.

6. Esequiel Barco - $14.5m (Independiente to Atlanta United, 2018)

Signed for a significant sum from Argentina, big things were expected of Esequiel Barco at Atlanta United. However, he failed to really deliver.

In 107 appearances, he scored just 19 goals, while assisting 18. For the third-most expensive signing in the league's history, it wasn't quite good enough.

He joined River Plate on a permanent deal in early 2024 after a successful loan spell back in his homeland.

5. Pity Martinez - $17m (River Plate to Atlanta United, 2019)

Yet another Atlanta signing, Gonzalo 'Pity' Martinez also joined from Argentina, like Barco.

With three Argentina caps to his name, he was clearly a good player, but only lasted 18 months in MLS. During that time he scored 11 goals and assisted 14 in 54 appearances, before being sold to Al-Nassr, joining a certain Cristiano Ronaldo at the club.

Atlanta did, however, turn a profit on him.

4. Thiago Almada - €14.6m (Velez Sarsfield to Atlanta United, 2022)

When Argentina star Almada arrived in February 2022 to hook up with Atlanta United, he became the most expensive player in MLS history.

An attacking midfielder or winger, Almada scored 26 goals and provided 24 assists in 83 games for Atlanta.

He was also part of Argentina's victorious World Cup squad in 2022, although Almada only featured for six minutes in Qatar as Lionel Messi and Co. went on to lift the trophy.

He has since played for Botafogo, Lyon and now Atletico Madrid.

3. Kevin Denkey - $18m (Cercle Brugge to Cincinnati, 2025)

Cincinnati very briefly held the MLS transfer record when they signed former Nimes striker Denkey from Cercle Brugge for $18m.

A bustling striker who netted 10 times in 17 matches in Belgium's top-flight, he is under contract until the end of 2028 and will have to maintain this remarkable strike rate to justify his lofty price tag.

So far, he has hit the back of the net regularly.

2. Emmanuel Latte Lath - $25m (Middlesbrough to Atlanta, 2025)

Atlanta smashed the MLS transfer record to sign centre-forward Emmanuel Latte Lath from Middlesbrough in a deal that breached the €20m mark in North American soccer for the very first time.

The Ivory Coast international was prolific in the Championship before his move to the US yet is relatively untested at the highest level, despite being 26.

He spent much of his early career on loan in Italy's lower leagues from Atalanta but made his big break with St Gallen in Switzerland. A spell of 18 months with Boro saw him net 27 league goals and tempted Atlanta to make their move.

1. Heung-min Son - Tottenham to Los Angeles FC ($26m)

Superstar Heung-min Son left Tottenham for Los Angeles FC in the summer of 2025 for $26m.

He is the most expensive player in the history of Major League Soccer.

And, you can see why LAFC bought him - at his peak, he was one of the best wingers in Europe and helped Tottenham win the Europa League in 2024/25 as well as reach the Champions League final a few years ago.

Son has shown signs of slowing down in the last 18 months, but that doesn't mean he won't light up the competition in the MLS.

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